Vintage Breitling Navitimer Chronomatic 1806 Automatic Chronograph Cal 11 1969

about the Breitling Navitimer Chrono-Matic (from Mono-Chrome)

The most legendary model among the aviator watches is certainly the Breitling Navitimer, a chronograph with an integrated flight computer, which turned 65 in 2017. Pilots from all around the world are still using the Navitimer. Many Air Forces are even using it as regular equipment for their pilots.

The Breitling Navitimer is an evolution of the 1942 Breitling Chronomat, with its typical slide rule bezel. Breitling decided to improve this highly practical bezel and in 1952, the ‘Navi’ was born. This slide rule bezel was used to calculate complicated operations without any other tool. Breitling asked the mathematician Marcel Robert to create a slide rule bezel that could perform complex logarithmic calculations. He created a scale with the 3 most important units for pilots: STAT for standard mileage, KM for kilometres and NAUT for nautical miles. This on-the-wrist computer allowed pilots to calculate fuel consumptions, average speeds or climbing speeds.

In 1952, the very first Navitimer adorned the “Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association” (AOPA) emblem on its dial (the typical double-wing logo) and by 1960, a real cooperation with the AOPA began. The “Navitimer” name is the contraction of “navigation” and “timer”. The first edition to be sold was the reference 806, powered by a manual chronograph movement with column wheel mechanism, the Venus 178.

The Caliber 11 / 12:

The last gap towards modernity was the introduction of an automatic chronograph movement. And the solution came in 1969. The man behind the development of this new calibre was Gérald Dubois, who was working for Dépraz & Cie (now famous with the name Dubois Dépraz). Using a base calibre from Buren (a thin automatic movement with a micro-rotor), Dubois worked together with Jack Heuer and Willy Breitling to develop this brand new idea of an automatic chronograph. And that cooperation led to the creation of a modular chronograph mechanism, added on the top of the Buren calibre (for that reason, the integrated micro-rotor is invisible). The legendary Calibre 11 was born.

One very unique feature of this movement is its left-positioned crown (the pushers are, as usual, located on the right side of the case). The introduction of this movement changed massively the face of the Navitimer that moved from a tri-compax layout to a bi-compax with date at 6 o’clock configuration. It was during the 1970s that the brand introduced the “fried egg”, a massive 48mm watch (reference 1806).

 Vintage Breitling Navitimer Chrono-Matic 1806 DDE.BR.11525/67 Circa 1969

This is a vintage c. 1969 stainless steel Breitling Navitimer Chrono-Matic DDE.BR.11525/67. an acrylic crystal. It has round chronograph push buttons, a screw down signed winding crown, and a corrector at 9 o'clock on the right-side case band. It includes a screw down case back engraved with "BREITLING – ANTI-MAGNETIC - SHOCK RESISTANT – STAINLESS STEEL – SWISS MADE - AUTOMATOC," and a Breitling "B" logo. The 48mm diameter solid three-body case, straight lugs, bracelet, and knurled bezel, are polished/brushed. The bidirectional black rotating bezel adjusts the calculation rule under the crystal. The dial is black with applied faceted luminous steel baton hour indices around a white minute/second scale. Around the perimeter are three black and then white slide rule scales. It has twin recessed silver subsidiary dials with black Arabic numerals, markers, and black/orange indicator hands, including a 12-hour chronograph totalizer at 9 o'clock, and there is a 30-minute chronograph totalizer at the 3 o'clock position. There are steel baton hands with white luminous fill, and it has a wedge-shaped orange center sweep seconds chronograph hand. It has a 42-hour power reserve at full winding, it's water resistant to 30 meters/100 feet, and the 13mm thick case, dial, and movement are all signed.

This Breitling Navitimer Chrono-Matic DDE.BR.11525/67 has a mechanical automatic self-winding Breitling caliber 11 chronograph movement. It's rhodium plated, and it's constructed with 17 jewels, an Incabloc anti-shock system, and an index regulator. It includes a Breguet hairspring, and a straight-line lever escapement. It has a self-compensating flat balance spring, a micro-rotor housed in the basic movement, and the mechanism oscillates at a frequency of 19,800 vph (2.75 Hz).

The Breitling Navitimer Chrono-Matic DDE.BR.11525/67 was introduced in 1969. The caliber 11 movement was the first automatic chronograph movement; it was developed in a joint venture of Heuer, Breitling, Buren, and Dubois-Duprez.

This is a beauty and a very rare Breitling Navitimer 1806 with Double Jet dial. Defiantly a collector watch. Please look at all the pictures, as they are part of the description. The watch is working, keeps great time and is part of our new Certified Pre-Owned CPO Program. This is a highly collectible watch. Very few left with this rare movement. Sure, to increase in value overtime, and a great addition to your collection. The condition of the watch is the same as it appears in the photos.  The watch is working.  Contact me if you have any questions first.